The Cradle Will Rock
by rhythmhearts
Summary: Multi-chapter fic set following the season 6 finale. Booth and Brennan investigate a case that hits close to home.
1. Chapter 1

This will be a multi-chapter fic that encompasses an entire "episode" of Bones, with an actual case being solved and exploration of how the characters interact while working on the case. I'm not sure how many chapters there will be, so stay tuned. I'm kind of a detail fanatic, so chapters will be long.

Pairing: B/B - but the whole gang will appear

Rating: Up to M

Timing: After Season 6 season finale

I own no one and nothing but a wild imagination and a trusty keyboard.

The Cradle Will Rock - Chapter 1

The cold drizzle of the early November night hung as a mist in the air. There was no sound in the dense stand of trees except for the sharp tip of the shovel cutting into the ground. The soil had not yet frozen, which made the digging easier, but the rain was slowing the process and the damp leaves created a slimy surface underfoot.

A single figure dressed in a dark hoodie and jeans turned to look into the vacant eyes of the woman lying on the ground. There were twigs and dried grass in her hair, and her skin was so pale as to be nearly translucent. She had been heavy to drag into the woods, but the deed was done and soon she would be covered in dirt, left for the insects and rodents to feed upon over the coming winter. No one would find her until it was far too late to determine her identity.

Finally the hole was deep enough and once the woman was lying at the bottom, the job of shoveling the dirt back in was undertaken. When it was done and a layer of wet leaves covered the disturbed ground, the woods were silent once more. As the sunrise struggled to break through the thick cloud cover, the rain turned to snow and within hours the place where the woman lay cold and still was indistinguishable from the woods around it.

[BOOTH'S APARTMENT - WASHINGTON, DC]

Dr. Temperance Brennan stood in her stocking feet and skirt, her arms bent behind her back in an effort to fasten her bra.

"Damn!" she swore under her breath. There was no way the bra was going to close, thanks to her swollen breasts. It looked like she was going to have to make a shopping trip very soon.

"What's wrong?" Booth asked. He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, wearing only a towel and an irresistible grin. His hair was still damp from the shower.

"My bra doesn't fit anymore."

His smile widened as he walked toward her. He cupped her full breasts in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Somehow, that doesn't seem like such a problem to me," he said mischievously.

She playfully slapped his hands away.

"Booth, come on. I have to get to the lab. Help me with this." She slipped the straps of the bra over her shoulders and turned her back to him.

"What? You want me to fasten it? That's just wrong," he joked as he hooked the bra closed. "After all the years I spent learning how to unfasten one of these."

She turned and gave him a sly smile. "There will be plenty of time for that later."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She hummed under her breath while she buttoned her blouse. She was still getting used to the fact that they were together. Really together - not just as partners. The night after Mr. Nigel-Murray had died she had finally given in to desire for Booth. She had been so afraid that once they slept together things between them would change forever that for days after that she had avoided him. Things had changed, but in a good way. Once she accepted her feelings for him, they were again able to work together. The comfort they felt around one another was still there, enhanced by an undercurrent of the love that had been there all along. There were still doubts in the back of her mind about whether they could make a relationship work long term, but there was a baby on the way and for that reason they had to give it a try.

She finished dressing and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

"Booth?" she called. "Do you have any crackers?" Her stomach was growling and she was again surprised at how much more hungry she seemed to be since becoming pregnant. She opened a few cupboard doors but found only canned goods, bottles of wine, and some drinking glasses. The refrigerator held leftovers from their Chinese dinner the night before and beer. Didn't he keep any food at his place?

"In the cabinet next to the stove," he called back. A moment later he came into the kitchen dressed in his suit pants and shirt, his tie hanging loose around his neck.

"Don't you want something more than that to eat?" he asked.

"No, thank you. I'm not able to eat anything else in the morning due to the nausea caused by the increase in human chorionic gonadotropin produced by my body at this point in my pregnancy."

Booth grinned. He loved it when she talked technical. "I heard that having morning sickness means the baby is healthy, so the more of that gonada-tropic stuff the better.

"Gonadotropin," Brennan corrected, as she took a tea bag from a canister on the counter. It was her favorite kind and she knew he kept it there just for her. "And hopefully, the nausea will subside by the end of my first trimester."

"That's coming up quick, isn't it?" Booth put his hand on her slightly rounded belly, rubbing it gently.

"Yes. I'm eleven weeks now. I can't believe how fast the time seems to be passing. Our child is nearly two inches long now and likely has fingernails."

"Wow, fingernails. So…everyone at the Jeffersonian is going to figure it out pretty soon, don't you think?"

Brennan poured hot water into her cup and shook her head. "My colleagues don't possess observational skills as advanced as mine. I doubt anyone will be aware of my condition until we choose to announce it."

"And when will that be?"

There was a glint in his eyes like that of child on Christmas morning. He had been pestering her to tell her friends so that he did not have to keep the secret any longer. It had been only three weeks since she had broken the news to him that he was going to be a father for the second time, and he couldn't be more excited. He almost spilled the beans when he was at the lab last week, but he managed to change the subject quickly and no one was the wiser.

"I told you before; I want to wait until all of the prenatal test results are back. I just want to make sure everything is fine." Her brow furrowed with concern.

"Everything is fine," he insisted.

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do, Bones. Yes, I do. And at least you'll be well equipped to feed the kid when she gets here," he said, dropping his gaze to her breasts.

"Very funny. How do you know it's a she?"

He leaned in and kissed her. "I told you - I just know."

She put down her teacup and hugged him close.

"I just want the baby to be healthy," she whispered.

He held her tightly, hardly believing even now that she was in his arms.

"And smart?" he countered.

She pulled back a bit and looked at him seriously.

"The probability of our child being intelligent is quite high."

"Well, Bones, if she's as smart and as beautiful as you, she's not going to date until she's thirty."

The sudden sound of Booth's phone interrupted their playful mood. He let her go and reached for the offending object.

"Booth," he answered with what she thought of as his 'FBI voice.' When he finished talking he snapped the phone shut.

"We've got a case."

[A WOODED AREA OUTSIDE BETHESDA, MARYLAND]

Booth parked the SUV along the side of a two lane rural road. The coroner's van and multiple police vehicles were already there, and a uniformed officer was stretching yellow crime scene tape between the trees. The air was cool, but the first leaves of spring turned the woods a brilliant green.

Brennan pulled a pair of latex gloves over her hands as they walked toward where a number of police were gathered. She had tucked her hair into a bun and the loose blue jumpsuit masked her expanding abdomen. Booth held her elbow as they walked.

"Booth," she said under her breath, "let go of me. I can walk by myself."

"The ground is slippery here. I just don't want you to fall."

"I'm pregnant," she hissed, "not an invalid."

"Okay, okay." He took his hand from her arm. "What do we have here?" he asked a cop who appeared to be in charge.

"Bones," the man replied. "Lots of bones. A couple of bird watchers tripped over them. Looks like they were buried in a shallow grave."

"Good thing I'm here, then," Brennan said, and she began to investigate the remains. "The subject is female, approximately 25-30 years old. There are still some clothing fragments present. Hodgins will check for fibers, and insect activity to help determine date of death." She picked up a skull with one gloved hand. "Features suggest Caucasian."

Her gaze traveled to the bones of the arms. "Multiple phalanges and the left ulna show what appear to be defensive wounds."

She brushed decaying leaves and dirt away from the lower half of the skeleton.

"Booth?" she called to him, her voice strained. "She was pregnant."

He met her eyes and held them. He knew she tried to distance herself from the victims whose remains she investigated, but this one hit close to home. He walked to where she was bent over the bones of what had once been a woman and her unborn child.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah...yes. Just... let's get these back to the lab." She stood up and began to remove her gloves.

"Doc?" called one of the detectives from several yards away. "We've got another one."


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! Thank you so much for the warm reception to ! If you're reading the second chapter, I'll assume you liked the first, so let's get going.

Pairing: B/B - but the whole gang will appear

Rating: Up to M

Timing: After Season 6 season finale

I own no one and nothing but a wild imagination and a trusty keyboard.

* * *

><p>The Cradle Will Rock – Chapter 2<p>

[THE JEFFERSONIAN INSTITUTE, WASHINGTON, DC]

Sunlight streamed through the glass roof of the Jeffersonian Institute, illuminating the human remains that were laid out in an organized fashion on tables in the forensic anthropology lab. There were three victims, two nearly completely skeletonized and a third still possessing a small amount of flesh and ragged clothing.

"So I guess we can assume they were all killed by the same perp?" Booth asked.

"No, we cannot assume that at all, Booth," Dr. Brennan disagreed. "My team has not yet begun to examine and categorize the remains. Until that is complete, we cannot assume cause of death and certainly not whether it was one individual who caused all three deaths."

"Okay, okay. No assumptions." Booth sighed. "Tell me what we do know."

Intern Daisy Wick began to recite what she had already gleaned from examining the remains.

"Three females, each between the ages of 25 and 35. All three were in the advanced stages of their first pregnancy. Skeletal features suggest -."

"Wait," Booth stopped her. "How do we know it was their first pregnancy?

"Oh, that's obvious," answered Daisy. "Their pelvic bones have not separated to the extent required to deliver an infant."

"Actually, Ms. Wick, your conclusion is incorrect." Brennan stepped closer to the table and gestured to the pelvic bones of one of the victims. "Not all pregnancies result in viable offspring. Additionally, the pelvic bones begin to separate during pregnancy as a result of a combination of hormonal changes and the weight of the growing fetus, but a woman who has given birth via cesarean section without first advancing to the late stages of labor would not show the same pelvic inlet expansion as a one who delivered her fetus vaginally."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Brennan," Daisy murmured.

"Perhaps you should strive to be more accurate in the future," Brennan suggested, oblivious to Daisy's embarrassment.

Booth winced at the frank discussion of female anatomy. He wasn't a prude, but some subjects were just private.

"So, one of these women could have had another kid, only not the… normal way?" he asked.

"Correct." Brennan stepped back from the table. "We really know very little about these women."

"Except that they were all pregnant and now they're dead," Daisy said grimly.

"I've got someone at the Bureau checking missing persons reports for pregnant women. Any idea how long these women might have been buried in the woods?"

Jack Hodgins swiped his access card and jogged up the stairs of the platform.

"One year, six months, and about four and half months, according to my insect friends." He held up a small vial containing an insect that Booth could not identify and continued. "The fact that they were buried over the winter makes pinpointing the exact time frames more difficult, but I can compare the amount of insect activity that occurred prior to the ground freezing and again after it had begun to thaw, and use that information to calculate a relatively accurate timeline."

"So they weren't all buried at once?" Booth asked.

"Nope," Hodgins replied. "It looks like the guy picked them off one at a time, then brought them back to the same area to bury them. Maybe he thought they wouldn't be found there, or it was easily accessible even in poor weather. The victim with some clothing intact was likely buried just before the ground froze last winter."

"By 'guy' are you insinuating that the perpetrator was male?" Brennan questioned. "We don't yet have a profile of possible suspects."

"No, no. Just 'guy' as in 'hey, you guys," Hodgins assured her.

"It would have to be a man, wouldn't it?" Daisy mused. "I mean, a woman couldn't be so brutal."

Booth scoffed. "I've seen some pretty scary women in my day." He shot a look at Brennan and winked. "Present company excluded, of course."

"Of course," Daisy smiled brightly at him. She did not seemed to notice that his comment was not directed at her.

Brennan picked up one of the skulls and turned to Daisy. "Ms. Wick, please remove all of the clothing from the third victim so that Dr. Hodgins can check it for trace evidence. I'm going to take this skull to Angela so that she can get started on the first facial reconstruction."

"Absolutely," Booth agreed, rubbing his hands together. "Let the squints get to work so we can figure out what happened to these women and identify some suspects."

He followed Brennan as she left the platform and headed down the hall to Angela's office. "Need any help, Bones?"

"No, thank you. I'm just going to talk to Angela for a few minutes. You can wait in my office if you'd like."

"But I don't want to be away from you for a few minutes," Booth teased, sliding an arm around her waist and leaning in to kiss her neck.

"Booth!" she protested. She stopped walking and turned to face him. "Someone will see us."

"No one's watching. I checked." He gave her a quick peck on the lips before heading back toward her office. "I can't help it if you're irresistible."

She smiled to herself as she walked away. "I am, aren't I?"

[ANGELA'S COMPUTER SUITE]

"Hello, Angela," Brennan greeted her friend.

"Hi, sweetie." Angela looked up from her computer monitor and motioned toward the skull Brennan carried. "I guess that's for me?"

"Yes. I need facial reconstruction done as soon as possible."

"Of course you do. Did I hear right? Are there three victims?"

"That's correct. Three females, all of them gravid at the time of their deaths."

"Gravid?" Angela raised an eyebrow.

"Pregnant," Brennan answered, her matter of fact tone masking feelings of empathy for the victims. She was unused to having such feelings and found them disconcerting.

"Oh…" Angela's face fell. "That's horrible."

"It is horrible. It was fortunate that nothing happened to you before you delivered Michael."

"My God, Bren - don't even say that!" Angela held up one hand as if to ward off the words.

"I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, Angela."

"I know, honey. It's just… I can't bear to think of anything happening to my precious baby boy."

"Of course you can't. I should not have made that comment. How is he doing? Is his development on target with statistical norms?"

Angela chuckled softly. She loved Brennan to death, but sometimes her way of speaking was unintentionally amusing.

"Michael is doing great. He is finally starting to sleep through the night, so that's an accomplishment. This is his first day with the nanny, though, so I'll be leaving early today." Angela's gaze followed her friend to where Brennan was placing the skull on Angela's work table. She had the impression that Brennan wasn't really listening to her. "Sweetie?"

"Yes…oh. I'm sorry, Angela. I wasn't paying attention."

"So I noticed, which is not normal for you. Is everything okay with you and Booth?"

Of her friends and colleagues, only Angela knew that Brennan and Booth had been intimate. She had felt the need to tell someone and since Angela was her best friend she was the most logical choice.

"Everything is fine. We are quite satisfied with one another sexually."

"That's not a surprise, honey, but what I meant was how are the two of you doing emotionally… as a couple."

Brennan thought for a moment before answering. "Being in a relationship with Booth is much more pleasing than I could have anticipated. I am somewhat regretful that I didn't allow it to happen sooner."

"Aren't we all," Angela laughed. "You have no idea how close Hodgins and I came to simply locking you guys in a room together and not letting you come out until you'd jumped each other's bones."

"Well, that won't be necessary now." Brennan turned to leave. "Let me know when you have the reconstruction done."

"Sure thing."

Angela watched as her friend walked away, and something didn't look quite right.

"Bren?" Angela called after her. "Come back a second."

"What is it?"

"Come here."

She walked back toward Angela with a questioning expression on her face. Angela stared at her for a long moment. She took in the small changes in her friend. Brennan's blouse looked as though it was a size too small where it pulled across her breasts, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes as though she were very tired.

"You're pregnant," she stated flatly.

"I'm…. uh, Angela…" Brennan stammered.

"You are! Oh. My. God!" Angela threw her arms around her friend.

"Shhhhhh! Not so loud, please. No one is supposed to know."

Angela's eyes were shining with excitement.

"How did this happen? I mean, I know *how* it happened, but when? Does Booth know? Are you excited? Are you scared?"

"Angela… stop!" Brennan sat down on the small sofa in Angela's office.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so… blown away. When you told me you and Booth had made love, I could hardly believe it – and now this."

"It wasn't planned. We just… it happened that first night that we were together. You know, after Vincent…" Her voice trailed off. She still harbored guilt over the death of her intern at the hand of a sniper. "I wasn't using birth control because I hadn't been sexually active, and I suppose it just slipped my mind."

"You suppose? Paging Dr. Freud," Angela snickered.

"I don't know what that means."

"I just meant, you know, it wasn't so long ago that you wanted to have a baby with Booth, and now it's happening. I can't help but wonder if on some level you wanted it to happen that night."

"It's true. I did entertain having a child before. I am physiologically ready to reproduce. I'm actually quite excited about it."

"So am I, sweetie. And I promise I won't tell anyone else until you're ready, okay?" Angela gave her best friend another hug.

"Okay, Angela. Thank you. You're a good friend."

[IN BOOTH'S SUV ON THE WAY TO MARYLAND]

"Where are we going, Booth?"

"I got a line on one of the victims. Believe it or not, thirteen pregnant women have been reported missing in the greater DC area in the past 12 months." He turned his phone toward her so that she could see the face of a lovely young blonde woman on the screen. "This is Mandy Marlowe, age 26. She was 32 weeks pregnant when her roommate reported her missing."

"She wasn't married?"

"No. She was single, living with a friend. She was a kindergarten teacher."

"Are we sure that she matches one of the sets of remains? I haven't even finished my evaluation."

"The clothing on the most recently buried body matches the description of what she was wearing when she disappeared, and her age and the development of the baby are consistent. I had Cam request her dental records and they were a match."

"So, we're going to talk to her roommate?"

"Yeah."

"Can we get some lunch first? I find that I am quite hungry today."

"That makes sense," Booth assured her. "You're eating for two."

"But one of us only weighs a few ounces."

"That's okay, Bones. If you're hungry, you're hungry. What would you like?"

"I believe I would like some…pie. Apple pie."

Booth jerked his head toward her, nearly swerving out of his lane. "But you don't like pie."

Brennan shrugged. "I want pie."

"Then pie it is." He couldn't hide his grin as he made a U-turn and headed back toward the diner.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you again to everyone who is reading. I'm having fun figuring out the intricacies of the case, as well as Booth and Brennan's relationship. For those of you who are wondering, there will be some sex, so hang in there! ;)

Pairing: B/B - but the whole gang will appear

Rating: Up to M

Timing: After Season 6 season finale

I own no one and nothing but a wild imagination and a trusty keyboard.

* * *

><p>The Cradle Will Rock – Chapter 3<p>

[THE HOME OF VICTIM MANDY MARLOWE]

Booth knocked sharply on the door, and within a moment it was opened by a young woman with dark hair wearing yoga pants and wiping sweat from her face with a towel.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Agent Seeley Booth, FBI, and this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan from the Jeffersonian Institute."

"I'm Anna Jessup. You're here about Mandy, aren't you? Someone from your office called earlier."

"Yes, ma'am," Booth answered. "Can we come in and ask you a few questions?"

"Sure." Anna stood back and allowed Booth and Brennan to enter the house. She led them to a small living area where they sat together on a velvet sofa.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but…" Booth began.

"She's dead, isn't she? Mandy? She's dead." Anna covered her face with her hands and began to cry.

"Yes, we were able to match her dental records to some remains…" Brennan began.

Booth shook his head imperceptibly and she stopped talking. Sometimes she could be so blatant.

Anna wiped her eyes and sniffled. "I had a bad feeling when she left that day, you know? Something just wasn't right."

"Can you tell me when you saw her last?" Booth asked.

"It was right before Halloween. I remember because she bought so much candy for the trick-or-treaters. She was looking forward to giving it out. I knew she wouldn't just disappear."

"How long had you been roommates?"

"Three years."

"Was she involved with the baby's father?"

"No." Anna shook her head. "Not anymore. It was just a fling with a guy she met at the gym. The minute he found out he was history."

"Was he upset about the pregnancy?" Booth asked.

"I don't think it was even a blip on his radar," Anna said angrily.

"Can you tell me where she was going when she left the house?" Booth continued.

"She had an appointment with her OB for an ultrasound. She was so excited about the baby…" Anna began to cry again. "What happened to her?"

"We aren't completely certain yet. The investigation is ongoing." Booth shifted in his seat. "Can you give me the name of the boyfriend?"

"I wouldn't call him a boyfriend. More like a complete ass," Anna scoffed. "All I know is Craig. She might have mentioned his last name once, but I don't remember it. She went to a gym over near the mall, but she didn't go back after she got pregnant."

"Craig from the gym." Booth wrote the name down on his notepad. "How about her doctor's name?"

"Um… hang on. I think one of his cards is still on the refrigerator." She got up and went to the kitchen and returned holding an ivory-colored business card. "You can keep this." She handed the card to Booth.

"Dr. Jason Fields in Bethesda." Booth read the card aloud. "Thank you. That's very helpful." He stood and Brennan followed his lead. "We'll be in touch if we have any more questions."

"Can you tell me what happened to her? When you find out, I mean."

"Absolutely," Booth assured her. "I'll have someone follow up with you."

"Thank you."

[THE OFFICE OF DR. JASON FIELDS]

Booth and Brennan sat side by side in the crowded obstetrician's office. Nearly every chair was filled with a woman in some stage of pregnancy. One mother was struggling to control a preschool-aged child while simultaneously balancing a toddler on her very pregnant stomach.

"She appears to be having difficulty with those children," Brennan observed. "They aren't very well behaved."

"They're little kids, Bones. What do you expect?"

"I would expect that they would behave in a more civilized manner. Perhaps she has not properly socialized them."

"Socialized them? They're not dogs."

"No they aren't. A canine mother would not tolerate such disobedience."

"Maybe she just needs to figure out what's causing her to have all those kids," Booth whispered.

"Surely she knows that sexual intercourse is required in order to reproduce!" Brennan said loudly, and most of the women in the room turned to look at her.

"It was a joke, Bones." Booth ducked his head in embarrassment. "Just a joke."

"Oh."

A young woman wearing a nametag that said only "Jill" approached them.

"Dr. Fields will you see you and your wife now, Agent Booth."

"I'm not his wife," Brennan corrected her. "We work together as partners. Although we have had intercourse and will be having a child in several months," she added.

Jill looked helplessly at Booth, as if she had no idea how to respond to this pronouncement.

Booth took Brennan's arm and steered her toward the door that Jill held open for them.

"Come along, dear," he said through his teeth. "We don't want to keep the doctor waiting."

They were led to a small room that contained two easy chairs and an ornate desk that filled much of the space. Piles of books littered the desktop, and on the wall behind the desk was a bulletin board covered with photographs of babies.

"Have a seat and he will be with you in a moment." Jill shut the door behind her.

"Why do you have to make it a point to tell everyone you're not my wife?" Booth asked.

"Because I'm not. Do you want me to lie?"

"Of course not, it's just… Once it's more obvious that you're pregnant, wouldn't it be better to just let people think what they want to think?"

"You mean because of societal disapproval of women bearing children out of wedlock? That's a ridiculous belief system. Marriage is a religious construct that has become accepted as a social norm in this country. It has nothing to do with a woman's ability to bear children."

"Forget I said anything." He knew he wasn't going to win this argument.

At that moment the door opened and a tall, slender man wearing a lab coat entered. He held out his hand to Booth.

"I'm Dr. Fields. How can I be of help? My receptionist said that you are from the FBI?"

"That's correct. Special Agent Seeley Booth, and this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"I'm not sure how I can be of assistance to the FBI," the doctor responded as he took his seat.

"Do you have a patient by the name of Mandy Marlowe?" Booth asked.

The doctor gave an indulgent smile. "Now Agent Booth, you must know that I cannot give out confidential information about my patients."

"It's all right," Brennan interjected. "She's dead."

Dr. Field's face went pale. "Ms. Marlowe is…dead? I thought she had just decided to have her baby at home with a midwife. That was what we discussed on her last visit."

"That is a very wise decision," Brennan said to Booth. "A home birth is much more cost effective than a hospital birth since the mother and child are not subjected to unnecessary medical interventions in an effort to increase profits."

Booth shot her a look that said 'don't even go there.'

Dr. Fields' smile vanished. "I can assure you that my patients are provided with only the care they require."

"I'm sure that's true," Booth said in an effort to placate him. "We just wanted to know if Ms. Marlowe talked to you about the baby's father – whether he was causing her problems maybe?"

"She never mentioned him after the first visit. Apparently he didn't want to be involved with her or the baby. Ms. Marlowe's pregnancy was going very smoothly. She attended all of her scheduled visits and her prenatal test results were within normal limits."

"Her roommate said that she had an ultrasound scheduled with your office on the day she went missing? What was that for?"

"It was just a routine check of the baby and amnioitic fluid levels, but she did not make it to the appointment."

"She didn't?" Booth asked.

"No. Actually, there was a mix up. She came to the office the day before the appointment and told my receptionist that she had received a telephone call stating that her ultrasound had been moved ahead one day, which was not the case. Jill told her she would have to return the following day, but we never saw her again."

Booth sat forward in his chair. "So no one from your office made that call?"

"That's correct. Only Jill makes changes in the schedule for me, and she never contacted Ms. Marlowe."

"Interesting…" Booth stood and Brennan followed his lead. "If I have any more questions, can I contact you?"

"Of course," answered Dr. Fields. "And if you're interested, Dr. Brennan, I'm taking new patients."

"Thank you, but I already have an obstetrician," Brennan replied.

Booth stared at him. "How did you know…?"

"You have your job, Agent Booth, and I have mine. Have a good day now."

[THE FORENSICS LAB AT THE JEFFERSONIAN]

Cam was reviewing toxicology reports when Booth peeked his head into her office.

"Any progress on getting an ID on the other two victims?"

"You'd have to ask Hodgins. I know that Angela left early today, but I think she may have gotten at least a preliminary reconstruction done on Jane Doe number 442"

"Great. I'll go see what he has. I hate calling them by numbers. It seems so impersonal."

"I know what you mean. What did you find out from Mandy Marlowe's roommate?"

"Not much. The father of the baby is in the wind. She was going to raise the kid alone."

"More power to her," Cam sighed. "The single mom gig can be a tough one."

Booth laughed. "You would know."

"Yes, I would."

[ANGELA'S COMPUTER SUITE]

"Hey, Hodgins," Booth called, as he walked into Angela's office. "Cam said you might have something for me."

"Yeah, I do. Angela went home to be with the baby, but she was able to get a reconstruction done on the skull Dr. Brennan left for her. I was going to leave myself, but I decided to go ahead and put it into the database to see if we got a hit."

"Can I see what Angela came up with?"

"Sure. Let me just fire this thing up." He entered a few commands into the 3-D volumetric imager that everyone in the lab called the Angelator, and a reconstruction of a woman's head appeared.

Booth studied the image. "She looks close in age to the other victim but she's brunette rather than blonde, and Bones said that she was tall. Mandy Marlowe barely topped five feet."

"Doesn't seem like the guy really has a type, does it?" Hodgins commented. "I wonder what the connection is, other than the fact that all three of the women were pregnant."

"That probably is the connection – at least that's what we're going with right now."

Suddenly, the computer behind them beeped and both men turned to look at the screen.

"We got a hit!" Hodgins said excitedly, and he sat down at the computer station.

Booth leaned over his shoulder to read the report. "Allison Farmer, age 31. Reported missing six months ago by her parents. She worked as an administrative assistant at an insurance company.

"Booth?"

Booth looked up and saw Brennan standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Bones. I think we've got a match for one of the Jane Does."

"Excellent. Daisy has finished cleaning the bones and I have examined the radiographs. There is still no obvious cause of death for any of the sets of remains, but microscopic examination and further testing still need to be performed." She pointed to the computer screen. "Is that her?"

"Yeah," Hodgins answered. "Based on the reconstruction that Angela performed and the approximate age and height we got from Daisy, it looks like this is our second victim."

"Where did she disappear from?" Brennan asked.

"Just a sec." Hodgins scrolled down to read more of the report. "It looks like she had an appointment with her obstetrician on her lunch break, and then she didn't return to work that day or the next, so her employer called her family and they reported her missing."

"Didn't she have a husband or boyfriend?"

"Looks like she lived alone," Booth answered. "I wonder if the baby daddy was out of the picture, like with Mandy Marlowe. That would be an interesting coincidence."

"Two pregnant women both having babies on their own, both of whom disappeared while going to an obstetrics appointment? That seems like more than a coincidence, Booth," Brennan observed.

"It does, doesn't it?" Booth turned to Hodgins. "Can you print that out? I'll need to talk to the parents to find out who her doc was."

"Do you think the two victims shared a common obstetrician?" Brennan stifled a yawn. She was not used to being so tired this early in the evening.

"It's a possible lead, and pretty much the only one we've got."

"Mind if I turn this off?" Hodgins pointed to the Angelator. "I promised Ange I'd pick up some diapers on the way home, so I really should head out."

"Look at you being all domestic," Booth teased.

"Hey, it's that or suffer the wrath of the mama bear."

"You'd better get moving, then." He turned to Brennan. "Get your stuff and I'll give you a lift home."

"Thank you. That is necessary because you picked me up at my apartment this morning," she said pointedly. She didn't want Hodgins to know they had driven to work together because she had spent the night at Booth's.

"Goodnight then, you guys," Hodgins called over his shoulder as he left.

"You don't think he suspects that we're having sex, do you?" Brennan asked anxiously.

Booth put an arm around her shoulder and walked her toward the door. "I think he has a lot more important things on his mind than whether we're tearing up the sheets."

She gave him a worried look. "We tore the sheets? I can buy you some new ones."

Booth raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"Oh… you mean metaphorically."

"Yeah, but if you want to get me some new sheets that would be okay."

Brennan shut off the lights as they left the lab.

"I have 1200 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. I think you would like them. They're quite comfortable."

"Are they woven by mummies?"

"Of course not, they're - oh, you're joking again."

"You know, Bones, for such an intelligent person, you really are gullible," Booth teased, as they walked together out into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry it took me a while to get this chapter up. Many thanks to everyone who is following this story. I struggled a bit with this chapter to get it the way I wanted it, so I hope you enjoy it. It is mostly Booth and Brennan, with a bit of the case solving thrown in.

Pairing: B/B - but the whole gang will appear

Rating: Up to M

Timing: After Season 6 season finale

I own no one and nothing but a wild imagination and a trusty keyboard.

* * *

><p>The Cradle Will Rock – Chapter 4<p>

[BRENNAN'S APARTMENT, LATER THE SAME NIGHT]

Empty Asian food containers and wooden chopsticks littered the coffee table in Brennan's living room. The lights were turned down and a jazz CD was playing at a low volume. Booth sat at one end of the sofa, his feet up on the table, drinking a beer. Brennan lay on her side with her head resting in his lap. They had been talking, but he could hear her slow, even breathing and he knew that she had fallen asleep. He stroked her hair and thought about how much they had gone through together to get to this point.

There had been so many times that they could have crossed the line between partners and lovers, but she just hadn't been ready. Now suddenly they were going to be parents. This certainly wasn't the way he'd planned it, but he would take it just the same. He loved her so much and he wanted very badly to ask her to marry him, but he didn't think she could handle it right now and the last thing he wanted was to have yet another woman turn him down when he proposed.

His thoughts were interrupted when she began to awaken. She yawned and then turned over and looked up at him.

"I fell asleep."

"Yes, you did."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's normal for you to be tired all the time. It's the baby sucking all of the energy out of you."

"I think my fatigue is actually caused by an increase in progesterone production that is common in early pregnancy."

"Nah," he grinned. "It's that energy-sucking alien inside you."

She smiled at him and he thought that he had never seen anything so beautiful. She sat up and stretched, and then put her bare feet up on the table next to his in his brightly striped socks.

"Shall we talk about moving in together?"

"Whoa! Way to change the subject, Bones."

"Well, we have to live somewhere – unless you don't want to live with me," she said, vulnerability showing in her face.

"Of course I want to live with you! Don't go putting words in my mouth. I just haven't brought it up because I didn't want to… you know, push you."

"You think that I'm afraid of making a commitment to you and that I will pull away from you if you suggest it."

"It's happened before," he said quietly.

She knew that even now that they were together the past had left its mark.

"But, things are different now. We're having a baby. I… I love you, Booth."

"I love you, too," he said, and kissed the top of her head. "So let's talk about living arrangements."

"Excellent." Her face brightened as she spoke. "I think we should live here, at my apartment – at least for a while after the baby is born. It is the more logical domicile for us."

"Here? Are you serious? You don't even have a decent television! How am I supposed to watch the playoffs?" He couldn't resist teasing her about her technology-deficient lifestyle.

"Well, we can't live at your apartment," she argued. "You only have one bedroom. I have a guest room and a home office. One of those rooms could be converted to a nursery."

He knew she was right. There was no way a family of three would fit in his place, but he wasn't sure how either of them would adjust to him moving in to hers.

"Or," she continued, "I could purchase a new residence for us. I have the money."

"No way," he protested. "If anybody is buying us a house it's going to be _me_."

"But you can't afford it, and I am quite wealthy. It's really not an issue," she said nonchalantly.

"It is for me," he said.

"I've hurt your feelings, haven't I?"

He said nothing, but she could see that he was unhappy.

"It's a fact that we have very disparate incomes, Booth. It has nothing to do with your status as alpha male."

"Well, this alpha male is perfectly capable of providing a home for his family."

Brennan felt her heart skip. "Your… family?"

"Me and you and the baby – we're a family, Bones." He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. "No matter where we live or how much money each of us has, we will always be a family."

"I never thought about us that way," she mused. "Thank you, Booth, for giving me a family of my own."

"I'm sure you can think of some way to repay me," he said suggestively, "if you're not too tired, that is."

"I find I am quite invigorated after my nap."

She turned and threw one of her legs over his so that she sat straddling him. She kissed him once gently and again with more urgency, and then pulled the tail of his shirt from his pants and ran her hands up his smooth, firm chest.

"So, I guess we're going to talk about this living together thing later?"

"Later…" she answered, and she stood and took his hand and pulled him toward the bedroom.

[4:47 a.m. – BRENNAN'S APARTMENT]

She tried not to wake him as she left the bed to go to the bathroom. Even this early in her pregnancy, it seemed she had to urinate much more often than usual. Angela had warned her it would only get worse. Try though she might, she could not wrap her head around the fact that there was another human being growing inside her. As a scientist, she knew all of the facts about pregnancy and birth, but as a woman – soon to be a mother – it just did not seem real. It was still too early for her to feel the baby move, but she and Booth had seen the tiny heartbeat during an ultrasound several days before. Even so, she didn't feel that much different physically, other than the more frequent bathroom visits and the snug fit of her clothing.

Everyone at the lab treated her exactly the same. Of course, no one but Angela knew that she was pregnant. She wondered how things would change when they all found out. She and Booth still had not made it public that they were sleeping together, so she imagined that the news of a baby would be quite a surprise. She wanted this baby – Booth's baby – with all of her being, but she was scared. There was so much about their future that was uncertain and she was not comfortable with uncertainty.

She went back to the bedroom and slid under the sheets, which were warm from the heat of his body. She lay on her back for a while, anxiety flooding her brain. After so many years of taking care of herself and managing her life on her own she still found it so difficult to reach out, but she wanted to talk to him – she needed him to calm her. She stroked his arm softly.

"Booth?" she whispered.

He immediately startled awake, his instincts as a former sniper present even while he slept.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing… nothing is wrong. I just…"

She felt foolish now for waking him, but even in the dim light he could see the worry in her eyes.

"What is it, Bones?"

"I just… wanted to talk you. I'm sorry… I shouldn't have… you need your sleep." She stumbled over the words.

"No, no, I'm okay." He scooted over closer to her and draped his arm over her waist. "You can talk to me whenever you want– day or night."

"I'm scared, Booth," she said so quietly that he could barely hear.

"Did something happen?" he asked worriedly. "Is everything okay with the baby?"

"No… I mean, yes, everything is fine. I was just awake and I got to thinking about how everything is changing so fast. I find myself doubting that I can be a good mother to our child."

"Hey, hey," he protested. "You're going to be an amazing mother –."

"I know I have the intelligence and the requisite skills to parent a child," she interrupted. "I've read extensively on the subject and I have observed Angela and Hodgins with their baby, and of course I possess the financial means to provide the best possible education for a child."

"See there – you're all set to be a mom."

"But you are aware that I have difficulty showing emotion. You have told me so yourself on a number of occasions. What if… what if the baby is not able to ascertain that I love her?"

"Or him," he added. He crooked his finger under her chin and turned her head so that he could look into her eyes.

"You, Temperance Brennan, are going to be an amazing mother, and our child will know every day just how much you love him -."

"Or her."

"Or her. All the years we've worked together – from almost the beginning I knew that you loved me. Maybe at first it was just as a friend, but then later… I knew. Even when you couldn't say it, I knew – and our baby will know, too."

"Oh, Booth, I do love you. I was foolish not to tell you. I let you go off to Afghanistan without sharing my feelings, and you found someone else. I was so… stupid."

"You are not stupid," he said firmly. "You are the most intelligent, most beautiful woman I have ever met. There is no one else for me. There never was. It was all a mistake."

"But you loved her…"

"And I never stopped loving you. I thought I could move on and find someone else to make me happy, and for a while I did. But now I know that it would never have worked out. You're the one for me, Bones. You always have been. It's fate."

"I don't believe in fate," she told him.

"And yet, here we are."

She offered him a tentative smile. "Here we are."

"Which means that I am right and because I am right, I am also right about you being a fantastic mother."

He bent down and kissed her neck and then began working his way down to her shoulder.

"You do realize that those are two distinctly different subjects, and being correct about one has no bearing on whether you are correct about the second."

He took her nipple in his mouth and sucked gently, and then let go and moved to the other breast, stopping just long enough to say, "Shut up, Bones."

"Booth…" she began, but all reason left her brain when he slid his tongue down her abdomen, past her navel, to where she was so ready for him.

"Never mind," she murmured, "never mind…"

[FORENSIC LAB, THE JEFFERSONIAN INSTITUTE]

Angela was working on the facial reconstruction of the skull of the third, as yet unidentified victim, but the rest of the remains lay on a table in front of Brennan. She systematically picked up and examined each of the long bones, searching for any evidence of cause of death. She was frustrated by the fact that there seemed to be no clue as to what had killed the young pregnant woman. The remains of the second victim, Allison Farmer, revealed what appeared to be defensive wounds on the right forearm, but this set of remains and that of Mandy Marlowe were completely devoid of any obvious trauma.

"Hey, sweetie," Angela called as she climbed the stairs to the lab platform.

"Hi, Angela," Brennan greeted her friend. She had been poring over remains since Booth dropped her off early that morning, and she hadn't realized that Angela had arrived at the lab.

"I thought you would want to know that I completed the final reconstruction and sent it off to Booth. He called me with an ID."

"That's great, Ange. Who is she?"

"Jessica Adams, age 30. She was 36 weeks pregnant, and get this – she was a surrogate."

"A surrogate?" Brennan looked up at her friend.

"Yep, she was carrying the baby for someone else – a couple in Richmond, I think Booth said."

"So she was single like the other victims?"

"It looks like it. The more we find out about these women, the creepier it gets." Angela crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "Three women about to give birth when someone snatches them and they end up buried in shallow graves. It's sickening."

"What really bothers me," Brennan replied, "is that I can't find cause of death for any of them. Cam had toxicology reports performed on Mandy Marlowe, but nothing came back except over-the-counter cold medication, and there was no flesh remaining on the other women to allow for testing."

"So no broken bones or bashed skulls?" Angela asked.

"Nothing except for a hairline fracture of the right ulna and some bone bruising on the patellae of Allison Farmer, indicating that she may have fallen while being chased."

While Brennan and Angela were talking, Daisy and Dr. Saroyan had joined them on the platform.

"I heard we've identified the third victim," Cam said to Angela.

"Yeah, a 30 year old surrogate mother."

"Wow, a surrogate!" Daisy interjected. "That puts a whole new spin on things. Maybe she changed her mind about giving up the baby and the biological parents tried to take it anyway."

Brennan looked at Daisy wearily. "We rely on facts, not conjecture, in our work here at the Jeffersonian, Ms. Wick. Additionally, the fetus was found with the mother, a fact which renders your hypothesis completely irrelevant."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Brennan." Daisy turned and busied herself with rearranging the already perfectly organized bones on the table.

"Still no luck on cause of death?" Cam asked. "I'm sorry the toxicology results weren't more help."

"Maybe you should be looking for what's not there," Angela suggested.

"I don't know what that means," Brennan answered, and both she and Cam looked to Angela for further explanation.

"Okay," Angela began. "You've got three women who are very pregnant and someone kidnaps them, the most likely reason being because they want the baby. I don't know about you, but if someone tried to take my baby, whether he was born yet or not, I would fight with everything I had to get away."

"Yet only one of the women has any defensive wounds," Cam added.

"Exactly!" Angela agreed. "So they have must have been knocked out or overpowered in some way that surprised them but didn't leave any marks."

"You are suggesting that the women were subdued chemically, with some type of drug or other substance," Brennan said thoughtfully.

"But the tox screen on Mandy Marlowe didn't show any residual intoxicants," Cam reminded her.

"What about an aminosteroid neuromuscular blocking agent?" Brennan suggested. "That would be undetectable on a toxicology screen, right?"

Cam nodded. "That's right. That type of drug would clear the system so quickly that it would not be apparent on a tox screen, even if samples were taken soon after administration. But, use of those drugs outside of an operating room is highly dangerous since they cause paralysis that can interfere with respiration."

"I agree," Brennan replied. "The use of a neuromuscular blocker in the hands of someone inexperienced could lead to overdose and even death of the recipient."

Angela threw her hands up in exasperation. "Can someone please translate for the genius-impaired individual in the room?"

"An aminosteroid neuromuscular blocking agent is a medication that is used to paralyze a patient before surgery so that they can be intubated easily. It causes short-term total paralysis of the patient, yet they remain cognizant of their surroundings," Brennan explained.

"You mean you're paralyzed and you know you're paralyzed, but you can't tell anybody what's going on?" Angela asked. "That is just freaky."

"The use of such medication without access to artificial ventilation or reversal agents is very risky. If the recipient has a sensitivity to the drug or an interaction with some other medication, death can occur very quickly," Brennan added.

"So, if the women are paralyzed in order to abduct them, why did one victim have defensive wounds?" Cam asked.

"Perhaps the medication was not administered in a dosage sufficient to paralyze her," Brennan offered.

"Or maybe it wore off and she tried to get away," Angela suggested.

"All of this is just conjecture unless we can find some physical evidence that the women were injected with a paralyzing agent," Brennan sighed. "Ms. Wick, please examine each of the victims' remains under 40 times magnification to see if you can identify evidence of an injection site."

"Yes, Dr. Brennan."

Just then Brennan's phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and answered, "Brennan."

"It's Booth. How are you holding up? You didn't get much sleep last night," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"I'm fine," she said, attempting to keep her tone professional.

"I'm very glad to hear that. Did Angela give you the ID on our third victim?"

"She did, thank you."

"Great. So I did some checking and I found out that none of the women shared a baby doctor, so I'm headed out to interview the other two docs. Want to come along?"

"Of course," she answered. "That would be wonderful."

"Bones," he teased, "you'd better stop being so damned polite to me. Your squints are going to figure out that something is going on with us."

"Okay… see you then," she answered quickly and ended the call.

Booth stared at the phone in his hand. Did she just hang up on him? Pregnancy was making her behave very strangely, he thought, but if that meant more nights as adventurous as the last one, he was willing to put up with a little weirdness. He tucked the phone back into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He whistled under his breath as he headed for the elevator. Ten more minutes until he would see her again, and it was ten minutes too long.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Back to the case a bit in this chapter. More clues are coming out, but the team still hasn't put them all together.

Pairing: B/B - but the whole gang will appear

Rating: Up to M

Timing: After Season 6 season finale

I own no one and nothing but a wild imagination and a trusty keyboard.

* * *

><p>The Cradle Will Rock – Chapter 5<p>

[EARLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING – THE ROYAL DINER]

Booth and Brennan sat across from one another at the diner, enjoying a leisurely breakfast before she headed to the lab and he to FBI headquarters. The previous day's questioning of the two obstetricians had yielded no valuable information. It appeared that the three victims had nothing in common with reference to their medical care, but the warrant for medical records was still in process and the documents would have to be reviewed once they were available.

"Angela hypothesizes that the women were abducted in an effort to obtain their unborn infants," Brennan said, stirring brown sugar into her oatmeal.

"What do you think?"

"I am unable to find any definitive evidence that confirms cause of death, let alone motive. Isn't that what you're supposed to figure out – the motive thing?"

"Hey, hey… we're a team," Booth protested.

"Of course we are. I'm sorry. I find that I am frustrated by the lack of progress in this case. I have not yet been able to review the medical records, and thus far your FBI team has been unable to locate the father of Mandy Marlowe's child."

"I know, I know. That bothers me too. I would love to get my hands on that guy."

"You think that he may be a suspect in her murder? What about the other two women?"

"It wouldn't be the first case where innocent people were murdered just to throw us off the trail."

"I suppose not."

"After breakfast we should go interview the couple who hired Jessica Adams to carry their baby."

"All right." Brennan agreed. "After that I need to stop by my apartment to pick up my car and run some errands."

"Anything I can help you with?"

"No… no, just the usual day to day stuff."

They resumed eating in silence until Booth spoke suddenly.

"I… have something for you… a thing. It's not a big deal." He took a flat box from his inside jacket pocket.

She looked up at him, surprised. "What is it?"

"It's just a thing I saw and… it reminded me of you." He looked apprehensive; as though he was afraid she might refuse his gift.

"Well, let me see it then." She held out her hand and he gave her the box. She gently removed the lid and looked at what lay inside. "Oh… Booth! It's… beautiful."

She held up a silver chain with a pendant hanging from it. The pendant was about 2 inches across and was made up of a family of dolphins, two adult sized and one smaller juvenile. The sea creatures were caught in mid jump, their backs arched as if in flight, their three bodies forming a semicircle.

"So… do you really like it?" he asked, desperately wanting her approval.

"It is quite lovely… yes," she assured him, her eyes shining. She opened the clasp and placed the chain around her neck. Once fastened, the pendant hung just above her breasts.

"I just thought, you know, you like dolphins, and it's a mom and a dad dolphin with their baby," he explained.

She reached across the table and put her hand over his. "I understand the significance, Booth. It's a perfect gift – very symbolic of our current relationship."

All of a sudden Booth pulled his hand out from under hers and she heard a voice behind her.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, how are you this morning?"

It was Lance Sweets, making his way toward their table. Booth glanced down at the necklace and then back up at Brennan's eyes and jerked his head surreptitiously. She quickly tucked the pendant inside her blouse to prevent Sweets from seeing it when he sat down beside her.

"We're… great," Booth answered. "Actually, we were just leaving."

Brennan stood up. "We've got a murderer to catch."

"Yeah, you know, really important stuff, so, uh, have a nice breakfast, Sweets," Booth added.

They left the restaurant together and Sweets shook his head in irritation. When would those two finally figure out that they were meant to be together?

[FORENSICS LAB – THE JEFFERSONIAN]

"I've gone over every inch of these bones, and there does not appear to be any evidence of a puncture mark," Daisy said wearily.

"It is possible that any drug administered was given intramuscularly," Cam suggested. "With no flesh to examine, we might never find actual evidence of how the women were subdued."

"I suppose not," Daisy conceded, "but I really wanted to have something to show Dr. Brennan when she gets here."

"Well, I will have something to show her," Hodgins announced, as he entered the platform.

"Please tell me it's something of significance," Cam said.

"It could be… well, I'm sure it is significant," Hodgins answered, "but what that significance is, I'm not sure yet."

"The suspense is killing me," Daisy squealed. "Tell us, already."

"Okay. You know that I took the shredded remains of the third victim's clothing to look for particulates?"

Cam nodded and motioned impatiently for him to continue.

"I found what I expected to find – soil from the burial site, accompanying insects and plant matter - but what I also found was a spot on what would have been the right cuff of the victim's blouse."

"A spot?" Cam asked. "A spot of what?"

"Eosin," Hodgins answered, "or more accurately eosin-Y."

"The same kind of eosin we use to stain slides here in the lab?" Daisy asked. "Why is that important?"

"Because…" Hodgins glared at her. "No one has been staining any slides near the victim's clothing."

"Could it have been cause by accidental transfer from your gloves?" Cam asked.

"I don't see how it could how have. I hadn't been doing any staining at all in my work area before I handled the clothing."

"So, the victim was in a lab before she died?" Daisy asked, "I mean besides our lab."

"Not so fast, Ms. Wick," Cam answered. "Eosin is widely used as a dye of textiles and even paper. In fact, it probably was used to make the ruling lines on your legal pad." Cam pointed to the paper on Daisy's clipboard.

"Which means we really don't have any idea where it could have come from," Daisy sighed.

"I'll let Booth and Brennan know what we've found. Maybe they'll have some ideas," Cam offered. "Until then, carry on with your bone examination, Ms. Wick."

[BOOTH'S SUV]

"Booth," he answered. "Yeah. That's great! No kidding? Okay, email me the particulars and I'll follow up. Thanks."

He hung up the phone and turned to Brennan.

"One of my agents was able to track down Mandy Marlowe's baby daddy. His name is Craig Turner, and here's the kicker – he has a record for assaulting a previous girlfriend."

"Perhaps your hypothesis is correct. He could have murdered Mandy in an effort to relieve himself of the responsibility of a child, and the other women were then killed in order to mislead the authorities. What kind of person does that to pregnant women?" She shuddered in disgust.

"A really scary guy," Booth agreed.

"What about interviewing the surrogate baby's parents?"

"We'll catch up with them later. I really want to get a crack at this guy. I'll drop you off at your place so that you can pick up your car, and then I'll head over Bethesda to question him."

"That's not necessary – I'll come with you."

"No, you will not. Didn't we just establish that this is a scary guy who has attacked women in the past?"

"Yes, but…"

"No buts, Bones. I'll drop you off at your place to get your car and I'll meet you at the lab later."

"That's ridiculous, Booth. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I told you before, you should let me carry a gun. Maybe you wouldn't worry so much then."

"I'm not taking you with me to question this guy," Booth said firmly.

"Yes, you are," she answered, raising her voice in annoyance.

"For once think of someone other than yourself, Temperance," he shouted back at her. "You're not the only one at risk. You have a baby to consider now."

"You are not my father, Booth," she said icily.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You say my name like I'm a petulant child who needs to be punished."

She turned away from him, tears stinging her eyes.

"Well... you're acting like a child instead of like a mother who has any regard for her own kid's life."

It was cheap shot and he knew it. The moment he said the words, he wished he could take them back.

Her only response was a muffled sob.

"I'm sorry, Bones," he said finally.

"Take me home, Booth," was her answer, her voice tight with anger.

They were silent for the remainder of the drive to her apartment. When they arrived, she opened her door nearly before he had stopped the car and slammed it behind her when she got out. He rolled down the window and called to her.

"Temperance! Damn it! Bones – I said I was sorry…"

She kept walking without turning around. He slammed his hands down on the steering wheel and then took off from the curb, the tires of the SUV squealing as he accelerated. Usually she was the one who spoke before thinking about how her words would come across, but he had stuck his foot in his mouth this time. He just hoped he could find a way to make it up to her.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter up. I had to take on some extra work and haven't had a bit of spare time. I hope to get another chapter up this coming weekend, so hopefully you won't have to wait too long. Thanks for reading!

* * *

><p>Pairing: BB - but the whole gang will appear

Rating: Up to M

Timing: After Season 6 season finale

I own no one and nothing but a wild imagination and a trusty keyboard.

The Cradle Will Rock – Chapter 6

* * *

><p>[BRENNAN'S APARTMENT]<p>

The walls of the apartment shook when Brennan slammed the door. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her nose was running. She tossed her keys and bag onto the sideboard and then went into the living room, sat down on the sofa and sobbed. She couldn't believe Booth had said such hurtful things to her. She was a grown woman who could take care of herself _and_ her baby. How dare he think that she was unable to perform her job? This was what she got for letting him get close to her – now he thought he could tell her what to do.

She finally cried herself out and got up to find a tissue and noticed that the gift she'd ordered for Booth had been delivered. Her neighbor must have let the deliveryman in with the key she'd left. She had a split second desire to throw it off the balcony, but instead she went into the bathroom to clean up a bit. She pulled her hair back with a clip at the nape of her neck and washed her face. When she shut off the water she heard her cell phone ringing in the other room. She hurried to the sideboard to grab it out of her bag, but the ringing had stopped by the time she got there and the chime indicating a voice mail sounded. She checked to see if it was Booth. Nope. She listened to the message.

"This is Tina from Dr. Kellerman's office. The doctor would like to discuss the results of your prenatal testing with you. If you are available to come by the office today, he will fit you into the schedule. Thank you."

Brennan stared at the telephone in her hand. For the last few days her attention had been completely consumed by the case, and she had nearly forgotten that there was one final prenatal test she was still awaiting the results of. The message sounded urgent to her, but perhaps she was just overreacting. It seemed as if everything upset her since she had become pregnant.

She started to dial Booth's number to tell him about the call, but then she realized she really had nothing to tell him. She would wait until after she saw the doctor. Booth could make her completely crazy, but damn it, she loved him. He was only looking out for her and the baby, she knew. She started to open the door to leave, but she stopped and went into the kitchen. She grabbed a pad of Post-It notes and a pen from a drawer. She was still a little pissed at him, but she wrote a quick note for Booth and stuck it to his gift, then picked up her keys and bag. She would swing by the doctor's office on her way into the lab.

[BOOTH'S SUV]

As Booth steered the car toward Craig Turner's apartment, he became more and more agitated. He could not stop mentally kicking himself for what he had said to Brennan, and even worse he missed her company. Before they met he had refused to work with a partner; now he couldn't imagine working without her. He still believed that her safety and that of the baby was the most important thing in the world, but without her he felt an emptiness that stretched further than the passenger seat beside him.

When he turned onto Turner's street, he double checked the driver's license photo he had been emailed of Mandy Marlowe's baby daddy. Turner was young, mid-twenties, with a cocky smile and a shaggy haircut. Booth stopped the car a few houses down from Turner's and waited. He spent a few minutes going over in his mind the questions he wanted to ask. Just as he opened the door to get out of the SUV he saw the front door of Turner's apartment open.

A young man matching the license photo came out carrying a motorcycle helmet. He put the helmet on and disappeared behind a row of hedges. In a moment he reappeared, sitting astride a silver Harley-Davidson. He started the bike and took off down the street with a roar, giving Booth only seconds to close his door and duck out of sight before he sped past the SUV.

Booth jerked his vehicle into gear and did a quick U-turn, determined to follow Turner to see if his behavior was suspicious. The motorcycle stayed on the surface streets, winding through residential areas until the surroundings became familiar to Booth.

"Son of a bitch!" he said under his breath, as he watched Turner park his bike in front of the home Mandy Marlowe had shared with Anna Jessup.

Turner jogged up to the front door of the modest cottage and knocked. Anna Jessup appeared in the doorway and embraced him. Apparently Anna didn't find him to be "a complete ass" after all. There was no doubt that these two were much more than friends.

Booth waited for the couple to go inside the house before he walked up to the door and knocked. Anna answered the door with a confused look on her face. It was obvious that she was not expecting more company.

"Uh, Agent…"

"Booth," he answered for her.

"Agent Booth. Did you find something out about Mandy's death?" She tried her best to appear calm, but she anxiously glanced inside the house every few seconds.

"Could I come in for a few minutes, Ms. Jessup?" Booth asked, turning on the charm.

"I'm, uh, I was actually just going out."

"It will just take a moment," Booth insisted, taking a step forward. She hesitated for a moment and then allowed him to enter the house. He walked toward the small sitting room where he and Bones had interviewed Anna and found Turner relaxing on the velvet sofa. The younger man sat up quickly when he saw Booth.

"Oh, I didn't realize you had company," Booth said innocently.

Anna took a seat on the sofa next to Turner.

"This is, uh, a friend of mine, Craig Turner."

"The same Craig Turner who fathered Mandy Marlowe's child?" Booth asked, unable to hide his disdain.

"What of it?" Craig challenged, standing up quickly. He was a slight man and Booth looked down on him.

"So what's your deal, Turner? You get a girl pregnant and decide you're tired of her, so you get rid of her and move on to her roommate?"

"I didn't do nothing to Mandy!"

"What happened ? She wanted you to marry her and you just aren't the marrying kind?" Booth taunted.

"I would've married her," Craig insisted, "but she disappeared." He shot a nervous glance at Anna who glared at him in response.

"You said Mandy was just a mistake – that you really wanted to be with me," she said angrily.

"Well, now that makes you both suspects, doesn't it?" Booth asked. "You'll need to take a trip to FBI headquarters to answer some more questions."

"Are we under arrest?" Anna asked, fear showing in her eyes.

"Not yet, but if that's what it takes to get you to come along with me, it can certainly be arranged," Booth took a set of handcuffs from his pocket.

"No, no. That's not necessary, right Anna?" Booth took some delight in the fact that Turner looked like he was about to wet his pants.

Anna shook her head.

"Okay then," Booth gestured toward the front door, "let's go for a ride."

[FORENSIC LAB – THE JEFFERSONIAN – THREE HOURS LATER]

Cam glanced up from her computer and caught a glimpse of Booth rushing past her office door.

"Booth?" she called, and a second later he popped his head in the door.

"What's up, Cam?" He looked as though he was preoccupied and in a hurry.

"Any more news on the case? Did you interview the surrogate parents?"

"No, I ended up catching up with the father of Mandy Marlowe's baby. It turns out he's been hooking up with her roommate."

"Wow… was that going on when before she disappeared?"

Booth shrugged. "I'm not sure what the timeline is. I dropped them over at the FBI. I don't think they're involved with the murders, but Sweets is interrogating them now. Anything new here?"

"Hodgins found some stain on the sleeve of the third victim's clothing."

"A stain?" Booth asked. "What kind of stain?"

"Not _a_ stain, some actual stain – l like for textiles or laboratory staining."

"Huh." He didn't seem to know what to make of this information.

"I'm not sure what the significance is yet," Cam said. "You might ask Dr. B. if she has any ideas."

"She's not with me right now."

"Oh." Cam raised an eyebrow. "Trouble in paradise?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Booth asked brusquely. "We're not attached at the hip, you know."

"Sorry, Seeley. I didn't mean to strike a nerve."

"No, I'm sorry. Bones and I had a… disagreement. I dropped her off at her apartment before I went to question Turner. She was supposed to meet up with me here. Is she in her office?"

Cam shook her head. "I haven't seen her. I'm sure she's around here somewhere, though."

"Thanks."

Booth continued down the hallway toward Brennan's office, but she wasn't there. He checked his phone to see if he had missed a call from her, but there were no new voice mails. She was probably avoiding him and he didn't blame her. He'd give her some time to cool off and meet up with her later.

[PARKING GARAGE OF BRENNAN'S APARTMENT BUILDING]

Brennan jingled her keys as she walked toward her car. Her annoyance at Booth was wearing off and she found herself wondering if he would like the gift she'd gotten for him. She was so touched by the necklace he'd given her that she had decided to reciprocate with something she hoped he would enjoy as much as she did the necklace.

She hit the remote to unlock the car door and slid into the driver's seat. She pulled her phone from her bag before tossing it onto the passenger seat. She would call Booth after all. Maybe he would want to meet her at the obstetrician's office. If it was bad news, she didn't want to hear it alone.

Before she could hit the speed dial button for his number, something was thrown over her eyes and she felt a sharp jab in her upper arm.

"Booth!" she cried out, and her world went black.


	7. Chapter 7

Many thanks to everyone who has added this story to their favorites! Even if you aren't commenting, I'll assume you are reading. :)

This chapter is mainly from Booth's point of view, but the next will be from Brennan's, so hang in there.

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><p>Pairing: BB - but the whole gang will appear

Rating: Up to M

Timing: After Season 6 season finale

I own no one and nothing but a wild imagination and a trusty keyboard.

The Cradle Will Rock – Chapter 7

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><p>[BOOTH'S OFFICE – FBI HEADQUARTERS]<p>

Booth tossed his cell phone onto his desk in frustration. He had just left his third voicemail for Bones and she had not called him back. It was nearly 7:30 p.m. He knew that she was upset with him, but would she be angry enough to ignore his calls? She had to know that he would be worried about her. He stood up and grabbed his suit jacket. He would go over to the Jeffersonian again. She had to have gone back to the lab at some point. If she wasn't there he would go to her apartment. She might be trying to avoid him, but he was not going to let that happen.

He stood in front of the elevator doors, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the car to reach his floor. When the doors finally opened the elevator was not empty.

"Agent Booth," Lance Sweets greeted him. "I've finished my questioning of Craig Turner and Anna Jessup. I'd like to go over my findings with you."

"Not now, Sweets," Booth said dismissively. He stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the parking garage.

"Uh, okay. We can talk about it later. Are you going to meet Dr. Brennan?"

Booth looked sharply at the other man. What did he know?

"Why would I be going to meet Bones?"

"Well, you two are working a case," Sweets said matter of factly.

"Oh. Well, yeah. I need to go over some stuff with her. I'll catch up with you later."

The elevator door opened and Booth walked quickly toward his SUV with Sweets nearly jogging to keep up. When he reached the car he slid into the driver's seat and slammed the door. Sweets had to step out of the way to avoid being hit when Booth started the engine and threw the vehicle into reverse.

"So, I guess we'll talk later then," Sweets said under his breath, watching as Booth's tail lights grew smaller and smaller as he sped away.

[FORENSICS LAB – THE JEFFERSONIAN INSTITUTE]

Most of the Institute's exhibits were dark Booth as made his way toward the lab. He swiped his access card and jogged up the steps of the main platform. His heart sank when he didn't see Bones. Only Daisy was there, bent over a microscope. She was so intent on her work that she did not look up.

"Daisy?" Booth called to her.

She jumped back from the microscope, startled.

"Agent Booth, you scared me," she said brightly when she realized it was him. "How are you?"

"Fine," he answered shortly, "Have you seen Dr. Brennan?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't. I just got here a little while ago, though. I wanted to reexamine a couple of the bone fragments I was looking at earlier."

"Okay, thanks." Booth took off down the hall toward Brennan's office.

"Have you tried her phone?" Daisy suggested helpfully, but he was too far away to hear her.

Booth felt a cloud of apprehension descend upon him when he saw that Brennan's office was dark. Her computer was off and the door was closed. He stood for a moment trying to decide what to do next when he heard faint laughter coming from the direction of Cam's office.

"And that's why you point it down when you change the diaper!" Booth heard Angela say, followed by more laughter. She and Hodgins were sitting on the sofa in Cam's office, while Cam sat at her desk holding baby Michael.

"Hey, Booth," Cam greeted him cheerily and nodded toward the baby. "Look who came to visit."

"We were just headed out for a bite to eat," Hodgins said. "Do you want to join us?"

"No thanks. I'm looking for Bones."

"Haven't you caught up with her yet?" Cam asked.

"No I haven't. I figured she was probably working late, so I thought I'd stop by."

"I haven't seen her all afternoon," Angela said. "Is everything okay, Booth?" She could tell that he was bothered by something.

"Yeah… I think so. I just… I've called her a couple of times and she hasn't called me back."

"Maybe she's still mad at you," Cam suggested.

"Why would she be mad at you?" Angela asked.

Booth shot Cam a look that said, 'mind your own business.'

"We had a disagreement about something. I dropped her off at her apartment late this morning and I haven't heard from her since."

"I'm sure she's okay, dude. You know how women are," Hodgins joked.

"Shut up, Hodgins," Angela said harshly. Both Hodgins and Cam looked at her curiously, wondering what had caused her outburst.

"What's going on here?" Cam asked. "Why are you two so concerned about Dr. Brennan?"

"It's just this case," Booth said. "And it's not like her to ignore my calls."

Hodgins looked confused. "What does the case have to do with it?"

"Three women disappear and turn up dead. Maybe Bones figured something out and went off on her own to investigate. She's done it before."

"I don't think she'd do that without you now, Booth," Angela tried to reassure him, but there was unease in her voice too.

"She doesn't exactly meet the victim profile for these crimes, Booth," Cam assured him. "These were three single pregnant women who…"

Cam's voice trailed off as she saw a meaningful look pass between Angela and Booth. The addition of the word 'now' to Angela's statement suddenly made sense.

"Oh, my God!" Cam exclaimed. "Is Dr. Brennan pregnant?"

No one said anything. They didn't have to.

"How far along is she?" Cam asked.

"Almost three months," Booth said quietly.

"And you're…"

"Yeah, Cam, I'm the father." Booth was pacing the room, unable to contain his agitation.

"Wow." Cam said softly. "That's just, uh, wow. Well, congratulations, I guess."

Angela took the baby from Cam and went back to sit next to Hodgins.

"You knew?" Hodgins asked her.

"Yeah. I figured it out just a few days ago." Michael fussed a bit and Angela rocked him in her arms to quiet him.

"Look, we're probably jumping to conclusions here," Hodgins said optimistically. "She's probably at home taking a nap with her phone off. You know how tired pregnant women get."

"Hodgins is right, Booth," Angela agreed. "She probably turned off her phone to rest and forgot to turn it back on."

Booth headed toward the door. "I'm going over to her apartment."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Cam asked. "I'd be happy to."

"No, no," Booth shook his head. "I don't want to freak her out. I'm sure she's fine. I'll call you after I talk to her."

"Okay, if you think that's best."

"Why don't you go get her and the two of you can meet us for dinner?" Angela suggested. "She's probably hungry. I was always hungry." She smiled at the memory.

"Okay, yeah," Booth answered absently. "I'll see if she wants some dinner."

When he left the office, Cam turned to Angela and Hodgins.

"Why the hell am I always the last one to know what's going on around here?" she asked.

"Don't feel bad, I didn't know either," Hodgins admitted.

Angela shrugged. "Brennan wanted to wait until she got through her first trimester before she told everyone."

Cam sighed wearily. "I didn't even know that Booth and Dr. Brennan were sleeping together. Not that it's a big surprise."

"The first time was the night after Vincent died," Angela explained. "I guess they both finally realized that life is fragile. You don't always know how long you're going to have."

"Isn't that the truth. I hope she's all right. If anything happens to her, he'll never survive it," Cam said, and they all knew she was right.

[BRENNAN'S APARTMENT]

Booth knocked on the door of Brennan's apartment and called out, "Bones? Are you there? C'mon, Bones. I know you're mad at me, but let me talk to you."

There was no answer. He tried again a few times, but the door remained stubbornly closed. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Finally, a thought came to him – the parking garage. He'd go see if her car was parked in her spot.

He jogged down the stairs and through the double doors to the parking garage. He rounded the corner to where she parked her car and was relieved to see the Prius parked there safe and sound. So she was avoiding him. As he walked toward the car to take a closer look at it, he pulled out his cell phone and tried her number once again. He couldn't believe she was being so childish. Avoiding a conflict wasn't the way to solve it.

He froze just a few steps from the car when he heard the trill of her ringtone. It was coming from inside the car. He quickly looked through the driver's side window and saw her telephone and bag lying on the floor on the passenger side. The driver's door was not quite closed. He opened it and with the eyes of a trained investigator he observed the scene. There was no blood that he could see – no signs of a struggle. But something was very wrong. Bones would never leave her phone and her bag in an unlocked vehicle. Booth surveyed the car more closely. There had to be some clue, some sign as to what had happened.

He leaned down to look at the floor on the driver's side. Brennan's keys lay there, peeking out from under the seat. This was wrong… all wrong. His heart was in his throat. What the hell had happened to her? Had someone forced her out of her car? This was a crime scene. He was certain of it.

He realized that his phone was still in his hand. The ringing of hers had stopped when his call went to voicemail. He punched the number for FBI headquarters and barked orders into the phone.

"This is Agent Booth. I need a crime scene team dispatched to the parking garage at 415 Elmsworth Northwest, DC, to look for prints or other trace evidence linked to the disappearance of Dr. Temperance Brennan." His voice caught as he said her name. "Yes, Brennan. The parking garage – space number 2022. I am on site."

He hung up and suddenly remembered the key to her apartment that she had given him a few months back 'just in case' he ever needed it. He took the stairs two at a time and ran down the hall. He shoved the key into the lock and burst through the door.

It was very quiet. He called out, "Bones! Are you here?"

He checked the bedroom first, but there was no sign of her. The bed was made and he could see that the bathroom was empty, as well. He went into the kitchen to see if there were dishes in the sink or any other indication that she had been there, but the sink was empty and everything was tidy. The countertop was clear except for a pad of notes and a pen.

He walked toward the living room and stopped short when he saw a 60 inch LCD television on a stand across from the sofa. He went over to look at it more carefully and saw that there was a yellow Post-It note stuck to the frame of the TV that read, "Booth – My domicile is your domicile. Love, Temperance."

He collapsed onto the couch, his head in his hands. He couldn't stop the tears from coming. She had bought him a television. He thought of the many times he had taunted her for not having at TV. She had finally bought a small one, but she kept it in the closet unless there was something that she really needed to watch on it. But this… This was for _him_. Of all the gifts she could have given him, it was this that said just how much she wanted him here with her. And now she was gone.

Where the hell was she? He knew in his gut that her disappearance was connected to the case. But how could the killer have known Bones was pregnant? Maybe he didn't know…. Maybe it was just a coincidence. It was possible that she was simply getting close to solving the murders and someone wanted to stop her. He stood up and took a deep breath. Sitting here he wasn't doing a damn thing to find her. He pulled the note off of the television and tucked it into his pocket. He left the apartment and pulled the door closed behind him. He would go back to the garage to meet the crime scene techs before sending them up to check the apartment for evidence.

As hard as he knew it would be, he had to put his personal feelings aside and be the skilled FBI agent that she loved and trusted because somewhere, he knew, she was waiting for him to come for her.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update. Things have been crazy and I've been spending time with other fandom-related things as well. I will try to get chapters up a bit closer together! Thanks for reading.

Pairing: B/B - but the whole gang will appear

Rating: Up to M

Timing: After Season 6 season finale

I own no one and nothing but a wild imagination and a trusty keyboard.

The Cradle Will Rock – Chapter 8

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><p>Cold… Thirsty. Head…hurts.<p>

Brennan opened her eyes and blinked in the dim light. She shook her head as if to clear cobwebs from her brain. She had no idea where she was or what had happened... Oh… She remembered now. She had been in the car on her way to the obstetrician's office. She was getting ready to call Booth.

Booth! He must be looking for her and must be sick with worry by now. Except… she didn't know what time it was. How long had it been since she had been sitting in her car with the phone in her hand? She felt around her to see if she had her phone, but her fingertips met only cold concrete. She had stopped wearing her watch a week ago because the band had broken and she hadn't made time to replace it. Her eyes were adjusting to the near darkness and she observed her surroundings. She was sitting on the floor of a small room, about ten feet long and nearly as wide. There was an old Army cot against one wall and a low utility sink in one corner. The walls were made of concrete block. There were no windows in the room, and the only light came from a dim bulb high above her head inside a fixture so dirty it nearly obscured the glow the bulb offered.

She stretched out her legs and tried to stand, wincing when she put her weight on her left foot. Sinking backward onto the cot, she felt down her leg to her ankle where there was a slight swelling. She gently examined the ankle and determined it was likely only strained, not broken. She checked the rest of her body, running her hands up both legs to her thighs and then to her abdomen. The baby! She cradled her enlarging belly and determined that everything felt normal. She checked each of her hands and arms, and then felt along the back of her head. There was a bump that was tender to the touch but it didn't appear that the skin had been broken. Had she been hit with something, or had she fallen?

Her eyes finally able to see somewhat better, she continued to assess the room in which she was imprisoned. There was a single door that appeared to be a heavy, solid fire door. There was no opening or window to look through. Aside from the cot, the room held no furnishings. There were two shelves mounted on one wall with metal brackets, and on the lower shelf was a paper grocery bag. The room appeared to be some kind of janitor's closet or storage room. There was no noise except for a low rumbling sound coming from outside the door.

Brennan slowly stood up, careful to keep her weight off her strained ankle. She crossed the room and picked up the bag and looked inside. There was food inside; three apples, a box of crackers, and two bottles of water. Her captor apparently wanted to make certain she didn't die of starvation, at least for a while. She opened one bottle of water and took a long drink. Taking the bottle with her, she hobbled over to the door and put her ear against the hard surface. The rumbling became louder.

"Hello?" she shouted, hoping to be heard over the noise, but there was no reply. She pounded on the door with her fist.

"Hello? Anyone? I'm being held captive. Please call the FBI and ask for Agent Seeley Booth. He's my…"

Her voice trailed off. She didn't know what more to say. He was her partner, her friend, her lover, the father of her unborn child. He was her everything and she wanted him to come and get her right now. She didn't bother calling out again. No one could hear her anyway; she was certain of it.

She made her way back to the cot, sat down, and leaned against the solid wall. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She had no idea where she was or when or if she would ever get out. She closed her eyes and hoped as hard as she could that Booth would find her very soon.

[BRENNAN'S APARTMENT – LATE EVENING]

The crime scene team had examined Brennan's entire apartment, but they found nothing that helped Booth determine what had happened to her. The last tech had packed up and gone, and Booth was trying to determine where to begin looking for Bones. He was convinced that her disappearance was related to the three murdered women in her lab, but thus far nothing had been discovered about them that might be useful to him. He had already set up a team to canvass Bones' apartment building and the surrounding area. Maybe someone had seen her being abducted.

"Agent Booth?"

He turned toward the sound of Sweets' voice. "What do you want, Sweets? I'm not in a very talkative mood."

"I'm sure you aren't," Sweets acknowledged. "I talked to Daisy. She told me what was going on."

"Oh she did, huh?" Booth said scornfully. "I suppose she told you that Bones is pregnant and that I'm the father?"

"Uh… yeah, she did."

Booth paced the length of the living room, trying his best to hold in his anger.

"So you were right. We love each other. Are you happy now? Why don't you just go publish your little book and tell the whole world about it?"

"I don't care about the book, Booth. I want to know how I can help find Dr. Brennan." Sweets said quietly.

"How can you help?" Booth nearly shouted at Sweets. "How can anybody help? I don't know where to start. She's just… gone." He sank down onto the sofa and put his head in his hands.

Sweets sat down at the opposite end of the sofa. He could normally come up with some kind of appropriate psychiatric advice in situations like this, but he knew that there was nothing he could say that would make Booth feel any better.

They sat in silence for several moments before Booth stood up suddenly and headed toward the door.

"I'm going to the lab," he said as he walked out. "Are you coming or not?"

[THE JEFFERSONIAN – CAM'S OFFICE]

"Booth must be beside himself," Cam said. "He loves her very much."

"I know how I would feel if anything happened to you," Paul answered. "I would be tearing this city apart trying to find you."

"Thank you, Paul," Cam smiled at him. "That means a lot."

They were sitting in Cam's office, eating a very late dinner of takeout Thai food. He was on call and they were both praying that his phone would not ring.

"Does Booth think that Dr. Brennan's disappearance has something to do with the case you're working on?" Paul asked.

"That's the assumption at this point. The case involves three pregnant women who disappeared when they were supposed to be going to appointments with their obstetricians. We can't find any connection between them, though. I've been through the records and they don't have a common obstetrician, they don't live in the same neighborhood, they don't share a gym or a grocery store. We can't figure out how they were chosen as victims." Cam took a bite of her pad thai and shook her head in frustration.

"And Dr. Brennan is pregnant, so she fits within the victim profile, I guess."

Cam looked at Paul in surprise. "You knew that Dr. Brennan was pregnant?"

Paul shrugged. "She sees an obstetrician in my building. I've seen her coming and going. I couldn't say anything. Patient confidentiality, you know?"

"She's not your patient, though," Cam pointed out.

"You know that doesn't matter. I had to let her tell you herself."

"She didn't, actually. I found out from Booth when he came to find her tonight."

Paul nodded. "Well, now you know. How far along is she?"

"About three months."

"So she would have had her prenatal testing by now. Everything seems to be going okay?" Paul asked.

"As far as I know. Like I said, I just found out she was pregnant and I haven't spoken to her directly."

Paul reached across the table and put his hand on Cam's.

"She's going to be all right. You know Booth won't stop until he finds her."

Cam nodded, fighting the tears she felt welling up in her eyes. "I just hope he for both of their sakes that he finds her in time."


End file.
